Making Amends
by Melissa Brooks
Summary: An A-Z Drabble series about Todd and Nora. Todd seeks out Nora to try and make amends to her for the pain that he has caused her and the two of them form an unlikely friendship.
1. Chapter 1

*Apology*

Todd took a deep breath and then knocked on the door. He thought about running away before she answered the door, but as much as he hated the idea of what he had to do, he knew that she deserved to hear it. It was time that he finally manned up and faced her.

"Todd? What do you want?" Nora nervously asked as she opened the door.

"I need to talk to you. Can I come in?" Todd asked.

"I don't think so. Whatever you need to say, just say it and then go," Nora said.

"I came here to tell you something that I should have told you a long time ago. I'm sorry about everything that I've ever done to hurt you...especially about terrorizing you when you were blind."

"Why are you apologizing now?" Nora asked skeptically.

"After what happened to Marty. I knew that I couldn't let the same thing happen to you. I know that you hate me and with good reason, but I was hoping that you would give me a chance to make amends."

"Come on in," Nora said as she moved out of his way.

XOXOXO

*Blame*

Todd followed Nora into her house and nervously sat down on her couch.

"Did you want a drink or anything?" Nora asked.

"No...I'm fine. Nora...I want you to know that I hate myself, not only for what I did to Marty, but for what I did to you. As much as I blamed you for throwing my case, you didn't deserve to be terrorized while you were blind. I'll do anything to make amends with you. I failed with Marty, but I won't fail you too."

"Todd, as much as I would love to put all of the blame for what happened to Marty on you, I can't. There were lots of factors that led to her suicide, not just the rape. I don't think that she ever really recovered from Patrick's death and then losing her son on top of everything else, well it just pushed her right over the edge. She was my best friend and I should have seen the signs, but I didn't until it was too late."

"Thanks Nora...you were right you know, to throw the case. You were a really good friend to Marty, you gave her justice after I destroyed her. As much as I hated going to prison, it was what I deserved and if I had never been sentenced then I might not have been able to change and control the monster inside of me. Do you ever think that you'll be able to forgive me?" Todd asked.

"I don't know if it can be forgiven, but I want you to know that you've changed from the cocky, kid that I represented.

XOXOXO

*Comfort*

"It means a lot to me that you think that I've changed. I just wanted to let you know that I am sorry and if you need anything...anything at all from me, don't hesitate to ask because I owe you one."

"I know, but I think that you probably should just-" Nora began to say as her phone interrupted her.

"Hello," she said into the phone as she motioned to Todd that she would be a minute.

"Nora, it's Brody. I have some bad news."

"Brody, what is it? What's wrong?" Nora asked as she sat down.

Todd was on his way out when he paused. Nora's voice sounded panicked and worried and he couldn't just leave until he knew that everything was alright.

"It's Bo...Nora, he's been shot on the docks," Brody explained.

Nora felt as if her entire world was collapsing. "Is he on his way to the hospital? How bad is it?"

"I'm sorry, but he didn't make it."

"No,no, no," Nora repeated over and over again as she dropped the phone.

Todd rushed to her side and without thinking wrapped his arms around her to keep her from collapsing.

"Bo's dead...he's dead," Nora said.

"I'm sorry Nora. I know how it feels to lose the person that you love most in this life," he said as he pulled her in a comforting hug.

"Get your hands off of her. She doesn't need comfort from a rapist," John shouted as he barged into the room.

"John...is it really true? How did this happen?" Nora asked as she pulled out of Todd's arms and walked into John's waiting arms.

"I'm sorry Nora, but it's true. We think that Collin shot him, but he managed to get away."

"I'm sorry Nora," Todd said one last time before he walked out. All he could see was red...red everywhere around him. Nora had lost Bo just like he had lost Marty. He knew the hell, pain and guilt that Nora was feeling and he wanted to take it away from her, but he couldn't. The only thing that he could do was find Collin and make him pay for hurting Nora.


	2. Chapter 2

*Death*

It had been a week since Bo had died and Nora desperately needed some time to herself. John had camped out on her living room couch refusing to leave her side until Collin had been caught, but she didn't want him to be caught, she wanted him dead.

"Scarlett meet me on the docks alone or you'll lose Matthew the same way that you lost Bo," that was the text that she had received this morning, but she couldn't tell John, he would just try and talk her out of what she needed to do.

She grabbed the gun out of their bedroom safe and went into the bathroom. She started the shower water running, locked the bathroom door and climbed out the window. She walked down to the pier and saw Collin smirking at her.

"Hey Scarlett, I've missed you...but now that Bo's dead, we can have a second chance," he said as Lindsay stepped out of the shadows. Nora paused as she saw that Lindsay had a gun pointed to Matthew's head. She had walked into a trap.

"Let Matthew go," Nora pleaded.

"I will just as soon as you drop your gun and come here.I have many plans for the two of us," Collin said as he laughed.

Nora dropped her gun and slowly began to walk towards Collin as he and Lindsay suddenly collapsed. Nora saw the blood seeping out of them as Matthew ran into her arms. They had both been shot, but shot by who?"

"Nora, are you and Matthew okay?" Todd asked as he stepped out of the shadows with an automatic rifle with a silencer clip attached in his hands.

"We're fine...you shot them?"

"I promised you that I would never let anybody hurt you again and I always keep my promises, besides they both deserved to die," Todd said.

"Thank you," Nora whispered to him as she continued to embrace her son.

XOXOXO

*Evade*

"You have to leave before the police arrive," Nora said to Todd as she heard the sirens in the background.

"Are you sure?" Todd asked as he looked at her.

"Go on, get out of here, before I change my mind," she said. She was crazy for wanting to help Todd, but she couldn't let him go to prison for shooting Collin and Lindsay.

"First give me your gun," Todd stated.

"What gun?" Nora asked.

"Come on Nora, we both know that you have a gun in your purse. We don't have time to argue so just give it to me."

"Fine, get out of here," Nora said as she handed her gun over to him.

Todd took off running as Nora pulled her son in for another hug. "Just follow my lead," she whispered into Matthew's ear as John walked up to them.

"Are you two okay?" John asked.

"We're fine, but Collin and Lindsay were shot," Nora explained.

"What happened? Who shot them?" John asked.

"Collin and Lindsay kidnapped Matthew. I was going to give myself to them in exchange for them letting Matthew go and the next thing I knew they were dead."

"Did you see who shot them?" John asked as he looked into her eyes. He suspected that she was keeping something from him.

"Nope," she said shaking her head.

"What about you Matthew?"

"I didn't see anything," he replied.

"I better get Matthew home," Nora said as she grabbed her son's hand and walked away from John.

XOXOXO

*Fight*

John, what are you doing here?" Nora asked.

"Nora, I know that you were lying to me. Who shot Lindsay and Collin?" John asked.

"I already told you that I didn't see anything."

"I don't believe you Nora. I'm a really good detective because I follow my instincts and right now, my instincts are telling me that you're lying to cover for Todd Manning."

"Well this time your instincts are way off. I hate Todd...everybody knows that and there is no way that I would cover for him," Nora argued as she walked away from John.

"Damnit Nora, I'm trying to help you here. If Todd shot Collin and Lindsay for you, he's going to hold that over you."

"I want you to leave John."

"Can't you see how much I care about you," John stated as he grabbed Nora's wrist and pulled her to him, kissing her roughly.

"Don't John," Nora pleaded as she tried to push him away from her.

"Come on Nora, I can make you feel so much better," John said as he held onto her tighter and kissed her again.

"The lady said don't," Todd growled as he appeared in the front door way. He pulled John away from Nora and pushed him to the ground punching him over and over again.


	3. Chapter 3

*Gash*

Todd knocked John to the ground and punched him over and over again. John rolled over and managed to hit Todd a few times as well. He pulled out his knife and sliced his cheek.

"John, stop it...please just go," Nora pleaded with him.

"This isn't over Nora. One day...you'll see that you want me just as badly as I want you," John promised as he walked out the door.

"Todd, are you okay?" Nora asked as she went to his side.

"I'll be fine...it's just a little gash," he whispered as he sat up.

"You shouldn't have done that...I had things under control," Nora stated as she grabbed the bandages out of the cabinet.

"That's not the way that it looked to me. John's an asshole and I wasn't going to just stand by and let him man handle you so stop trying to act so tough all the time and just say thank you."

"Thank you Todd," Nora whispered as she placed the bandage over his scarred cheek.

XOXOXO

*Home*

"Nora, I want you and Matthew to move in with me," Todd stated.

"What?" Nora asked as she paused. Maybe she was hearing things...Todd couldn't actually want her and Matthew to go home with him could he?

"It's not safe for you here with John and his raging hormones. The next time he comes here I might not be around and the thought of anything happening to you...just come home with me and I'll keep you and Matthew safe," Todd pleaded.

"Shouldn't you be leaving Llanview before John arrests you for shooting Collin," Nora argued.

"John can't arrest me without evidence, besides I've already set up an air-tight alibi," Todd explained. "So now there's no other excuses to keep you and Matthew from coming home with me."

"Todd, I know that you're trying to help, but this was the home that I shared with Bo and I'm not ready to leave it."

"I understand that...I can move in here with you."

"This is crazy," Nora whispered.

"This is necessary. John isn't going to stop harassing you and I'm not going to let him hurt you, so where can I sleep?" Todd asked as he looked around.

"You can sleep on the couch, but it's just for tonight," Nora stated.

"We'll see about that," Todd stated.

"Goodnight Todd," Nora whispered as she handed him a blanket and pillow and headed towards her bedroom.

XOXOXO

*Ice cream*

Nora laid in bed trying to sleep, but she just couldn't get comfortable plus she couldn't stop thinking about Vanila Ice cream with a side of pickle.

She climbed out of bed and crept past Todd into the kitchen. She pulled out the gallon of Vanilla Ice Cream and the jar of pickles.

Todd opened his eyes when he heard Nora walking past him. He watched her with amusement as she cut up the pickles and put them in her bowel of ice cream. It was a strange craving to have in the middle of the night and then it occurred to him that women generally only had strange cravings like that when they were pregnant.

"Nora, is there a chance that you might be pregnant?" Todd asked as he sat up.

"What? Why would you even ask me something like that?" Nora asked.

"Look at what you're eating Nora. The last time Blair was craving Ice Cream and Pickles she was pregnant with Jack. Is there a chance that you might be pregnant?"

"It's a possibility," Nora said after a few minutes when she realized that her period was a few weeks late.


End file.
